Mysterious Update

   

Mystery lovers – have you noticed it’s getting to the point that you need a detective’s spiral pad to keep notes on all the mysteries (and thrillers, too) being rushed to publication.  A recent New York Times article shed some light on this publishing mystery.  Authors who could be counted on to bring out one new title in their series each year are now feeling strong pressure to publish more.  eBook formats have made readers eager to download the next title quickly. Authors are even producing short works just in eBook format for the most insatiable.  Take out your notebook and note these clues to upcoming titles.    You will be sure to find them all available at the Mark Twain Library in the months to come.  And subscribe to Wowbary to be alerted when your favorite title has arrived.  Look at a few due out soon.  

                 


                                           

Ready to Rumble?

The recent failure of the Pulitzer board to award a 2012 prize for fiction prompted quite an uproar.  The publishing industry put up its dukes and flailed away at the perceived insult to its 2011 fiction lists.

The brouhaha actually worked out in productive ways.  Many people (see And the winner isn't... and The Great Pulitzer Do-Over ) took the opportunity to champion their favorite 2011 novels, bringing attention to a wide range of worthwhile books.*  That's a good thing!

It made me reflect on the vagaries of the book prize process, though, and at the risk of being called unpatriotic, I'd say the British handle their literary awards system more efficiently.  They announce an initial 15-book "longlist", cut it down to a 5-6 book "shortlist", and then award the prize. Lots of publicity is focused on that extensive longlist, and being placed on the shortlist is seen as the real stamp of approval, with the actual award a bit of an anticlimax. (Similar to the Oscars.) Avid readers really appreciate those longlists.

Of course, the British do have their own controversies.  The judges for the 2011 Man Booker Prize, the UK's top literary award, noted that they were going to take "readability" into account in their deliberations.  Quel horreur! The literary community was incensed. It didn't help that the ultimate selection for the prize, THE SENSE OF AN ENDING, was widely seen as a tepid choice.

But I'm looking forward to next year's Booker Prize anyway.  Why?  Because I am so very amused that one of the five members of the 2012 judging panel is actor Dan Stevens, better known to many of us as Matthew Crawley of "Downton Abbey". (I kid you not. Oh, all right, he does have a degree in literature from Cambridge.) Those Brits sure know how to have more fun.

Mary Hoskinson-Dean

*It's not over 'til it's over? The Pulitzer jury describes "what really happened this year"

Poetry tells a tale

Contemporary poetry has a "serious" reputation; only by close and sustained analysis, it is said, can a reader discern a poem's true meaning. But how many of us can spare the requisite hours for such an activity (even if it is April, National Poetry Month)? Fortunately, limited time and energy may no longer be a problem if you've discovered one of the livelier genres of the form - the novel in verse.

Narrative poetry, particularly for young adults, is flourishing. This distinctive way of telling a story has been fairly described as "a quick read, with depth". Sounds promising to busy readers!

Click here for a select list of verse novels. One, Out of the Dust, won the 1998 Newbery Award for its poignant depiction of the Great Depression. A more recent title, The Watch that Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic, has been described as a "masterpiece". While not every book listed deserves such high praise, each will provide reading (or listening) pleasure.

Mary Hoskinson-Dean

Charles Dickens - Let's Celebrate!

2012 is a banner year for Charles Dickens, as the English-speaking world celebrates the 200th anniversary of his birth. I've been a fan of Dickens since I was a teenager. I loved the way that the virtuous young protagonists of his novels ultimately prevailed; I found his ability to weave together the fraught lives of a vast scrum of vivid characters compelling; and, of course, the brisk pace of his storytelling (Dickens published most of his novels in serial installments, typically with cliffhanger endings) prompted me to race to the end of each of his books, not even aware of their many pages.

It's surprising to me, therefore, that many readers these days are reluctant to try Dickens; perhaps they are daunted by the length of his books.  A look at his work as presented on the small screen, however, might persuade some to pick up his novels. The BBC has spent the last thirty-plus years adapting one Dickens masterpiece after another for television, including the superb Bleak House (2005), Little Dorrit (2008), Nicholas Nickleby (2000), and my favorite, Our Mutual Friend (1998). Two more (Great Expectations and The Mystery of Edwin Drood) are coming to the TV screen in 2012.


But the way you experience his work doesn't really matter. Whether you read, watch - or listen to* - Mr. Dickens' tales, your time will be well rewarded.

And how will I observe his milestone birthday? I am finally going to read a biography of Dickens, whose life story is reputed to be as compelling as his fiction!

Mary Hoskinson-Dean

*Click here for a list of the library's collection of Dickens books, audiobooks and video adaptations

Book Groups Seek Book

In a book group with lots of avid readers who would think there would be that moment of silence when not one member has an idea for the next book to read … or worse there are too many ideas.  As the librarian in my group, I sometimes want to hide because eyes turn to me.  When that happens, I pull out my secret weapons, suggestions from three favorite websites for book lovers.   Avoid that awkward moment at your next meeting.  Come armed with suggestions from one of these sites:

Reading Group Choices is one of the oldest websites for book lovers and just seems to get better with age.  If food is a big part of your groups reason for meeting don’t miss the  food by the book link

MostlyFiction is fueled by its contributors and often has reviews of books just released.  There are great links to past reviews  

Reading Group Guides – Launched by an avid reader this site has grown to include over 3500 guides.  Check out their advice on how to run an effective group

Still need suggestions or want a reading guide prepared for you contact me - Beth@marktwainlibrary.org

Great Reads by Genre Picked

Every year the Reading List Council, a group of librarians considered the most expert at providing advice to readers about the best books published in a calendar year develops a list of Best Books by Genres.
Here's a list that the Mark Twain Library has culled from that list with special interest for our Redding Readers.  Enjoy! Be sure to let the Mark Twain Library staff if you agree with the experts.

Airport Lit

What is Airport Lit? Well, as Dominique Browning, a NY Times travel writer, opined recently, it's literature that features "plain, old-fashioned, unrelenting, compelling storytelling." She finds such books so engrossing that she can easily ignore the increasing indignities of air travel (hence the name).

My reaction is - why save such good reads for the airplane?  They're engaging and satisfying anytime and anywhere.

Ms. Browning listed some of her favorite 'AL' authors - George R. R. Martin, Scott Turow, P. D. James, Maeve Binchy, Bernard Cornwell, Ruth Rendell - and opened up the article for comments. Her readers cited a wide range of writers, including novelists Deborah Crombie, Jo Nesbo, Ian Rankin, Charles Todd, Joanna Trollope, Georgette Heyer, and Louise Penny, and such nonfiction authors as David McCullough. Here's a link to the article and reader suggestions.

I would enthusiastically include in this group fiction writers Philip Kerr (Bernie Gunther series), Robert Harris, and Elizabeth Jane Howard (Cazalet Chronicles), plus nonfiction notable Erik Larson.

Have you got any names to add to this list of sure-bet reads? Please add them below!

Mary Hoskinson-Dean